Eimí — G1510

G1510 · Greek — εἰμί

Pronunciation: i-mee'

Definition

verb

I exist (used only when emphatic)

  1. εἰμί has the force of a predicate (i. e. is the substantive verb)
    1. to exist
      1. passages in which the idea of the verb preponderates, and some person or thing is said to exist by way of distinction from things non-existent
      2. equivalent to to live
      3. equivalent to to stay, remain, be in a place
      4. equivalent to to be found, the subject being anarthrous
      5. when used of things, events, facts, etc., εἶναι is equivalent to to happen, take place
    2. equivalent to πάρειμι, to be present
    3. ἐστιν with an infinitive, as in Greek writings from Homer down , it is possible to etc
  2. εἰμί (as a copula) connects the subject with the predicate, where the sentence shows who or what a person or thing is as respects character, nature, disposition, race, power, dignity, greatness, age, etc
    1. universally
    2. εἰμί, as a copula, indicates that the subject is or is to be compared to the thing expressed by the predicate
    3. εἶναι, getting an explicative force, is often equivalent to to denote, signify, import, as ὁ ἀγρός ἐστιν ὁ κόσμος, Matthew 13
    4. In the Bible far more frequently than in secular authors, and in the N. T. much more often in the historical than in the other books, a participle without the article serves as the predicate, being connected with the subject by the verb εἶναι
      1. with the present participle is formed — a periphrasis of the present
      2. so as to indicate continuance in any act or state
      3. the combination of εἶναι with participle seems intended also to give the verbal idea more force and prominence by putting it in the form of a noun ἦν ἔχων κτήματα πολλά
      4. Of quite another sort are those examples in which εἶναι has its own force, being equivalent to to be found, to be present, to stay, , and the participle is added to express an act or condition of the subject
    5. The formula ἐγώ εἰμί (I am he), frequent in the Gospels, especially in John, must have its predicate supplied mentally, inasmuch as it is evident from the context
    6. Of the phrases having a pronoun in place of a predicate, the following deserve notice
      1. τίς εἰμί, εἰ, ἐστιν, a formula of inquiry, used by those desiring — either to know what sort of a man one is whom they see, or what his name is
      2. εἰμί τίς, likesum aliquis in Latin, to be somebody (eminent)
      3. τίς ἐστι, e. g. ἡ παραβολή, what does it mean? what is the explanation of the thing?
      4. οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο ἐστιν followed by a noun, equivalent to in this is seen, is contained, etc
    7. The participle ὤν, οὖσα, ὄν, ὄντες, ὄντα, joined to a substantive or an adjective, has the force of an intercalated clause, and may be translated since or although I am, thou art, etc. (here the English use of the participle agrees in the main with the Greek)
    8. Sometimes the copula ἐστιν (with the accent ) stands at the beginning of a sentence, to emphasize the truth of what the sentence affirms or denies
  3. εἰμί joined with adverbs
    1. with adverbs of place
      1. where? to be, be busy, somewhere
      2. with adverbs of distance
      3. whence? to be from some quarter, i. e. to come, originate, from
    2. with adverbs of quality
  4. εἰμί with the oblique cases of substantives or of pronouns
    1. εἶναι τίνος, like the Latinalicuius esse, equivalent to to pertain to a person or a thing, denotes any kind of possession or connection (possessive genitive)
      1. of things which one owns
      2. of things which proceed from one
      3. to be of one's party, be devoted to one
      4. to be subject to one
      5. to be suitable, fit, for one
      6. to be of a kind or class
      7. with a genitive of quality
    2. εἰμί with the dative
      1. ἐστι μοι, ἡμῖν, etc. it is mine, ours, etc., I, we, etc., have
      2. εἶναι τίνι τί to be something to (or for) someone, used of various relations, as of service, protection, etc
      3. εἶναι τίνι τί, to be to one as or for something, to pass for etc
      4. εἶναι τίνι τί, to be, i. e. conduce, redound to one for (or as) something
      5. ἔσται τίνι, will come upon, befall, happen to, one
      6. Act 24
  5. εἰμί with prepositions and their cases
    1. ἀπό ὁ τίνος (τόπου), to come from, be a native of
    2. εἰς τί, a. to have betaken oneself to some place and to be there, to have gone into
      1. to be directed toward a thing
      2. to be for, i. e. conduce or inure to, serve for
      3. In imitation of the Hebrew הָיָה followed by לְ, εἶναι εἰς τινα or τί stands where the Greeks use a nominative
    3. ἐκ τίνος, a. to be of, i. e. a part of anything, to belong to, etc
      1. to be of, i. e. to have originated, sprung, come, from
      2. to be of, i. e. proceed from one as the author
      3. to be of, i. e. be connected with one
      4. to be of, i. e. formed from
    4. ἐν τίνι, a. with the dative of place, to be in, i. e. be present, to stay, dwell
      1. to be in a state or condition
      2. to be in possession of, provided with a thing
      3. to be occupied in a thing
      4. a person or thing is said to be in one, i. e. in his soul
      5. ἐν τῷ Θεῷ εἶναι is said
      6. with a dative of the person to be in — (i. e. either) among the number of
    5. εἰμί ἐπί a. τίνος, to be on
      1. τίνι, to be at
      2. τινα, to be upon one
    6. εἰμί κατά a. τίνος, to be against one, to oppose him
      1. κατά τί, according to something
    7. μετά τίνος, a. to be with (i. e., to associate with) one
      1. to be (i. e. to cooperate) with
    8. εἰμί παρά a. τίνος, to (have come and so) be from one
      1. τίνι, to be with one
      2. τινα (τόπον), by, by the side of
    9. πρός τινα , a. toward
      1. by (turned toward)
      2. with one
    10. σύν τίνι, a. to associate with one
      1. to be the companion of one, to accompany him
      2. (to be an adherent of one, be on his side: Act 5:17; Act 14:4
    11. εἰμί ὑπέρ a. τίνος, to be for one, to favor his side
      1. τινα, to be abore one, to surpass, excel him
    12. ὑπό τινα , a. to be under (i. e., subject to) one
      1. to be (locally) under a thing
  6. As in classical Greek, so also in the N. T. εἰμί is very often omitted , ἐστιν most frequently of all the parts

Usually translated as

am, have been, was, it is I

Origin

the first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb

Occurrences

Eimí occurs 145 times in 136 verses of the King James.

Distribution of the word across the Bible: Matthew (14), Mark (4), Luke (16), John (52), Acts (18), Romans (4), 1 Corinthians (9), 2 Corinthians (2), Philippians (1), Colossians (1), 1 Timothy (1), 1 Peter (1), 2 Peter (1), Revelation (12)

Strong's Lexicon — E